Antioxidants are our second lineof defense against the inflammationand premature aging caused by freeradicals. While vitamin C, vitaminA and vitamin E still hold theirvalue, there has recently been anincrease in the industry of what’sreferred to as second generationantioxidants, which have a muchmore powerful effect at protectingcells from the damaging effectsof free radicals. These benefitshold true for both the skin andthe body. Some examples of thesesecond-generation antioxidantsare turmeric, astaxanthin fromalgae and various antioxidantsfound in microgreens—all safe toincorporate into our diet. Theseantioxidants are anywhere from50–6,000 times stronger thanvitamin C, providing an incredibleleap in the amount of protectioncells receive with their application.

As great as these new
antioxidants are, don’t abandon
vitamin C, as many of these
antioxidants work synergistically to
boost each other for greater effect.
Various antioxidants also protect
different portions of our cells, so it
is important to get a full spectrum
of as many vitamins as possible.
For example, our sebum naturally
provides vitamin E to the skin,
which protects the lipid membrane
of our cells. Vitamin C protects
the water portion. Both must be
together to have total cell protection,
otherwise it’s the equivalent of
purchasing insurance for the roof of
your house and not the rest.

The body cannot make vitamin
C on it’s own, so we have to get
this from dietary sources. Vitamin
C isn’t absorbed as well without
vitamin E, vitamin A, fatty acids
and vitamin P. Nature tends to put
these co-factors together already,
so it is best to get them from whole
food sources such as oranges with
the pith, kiwi and colorful yellow
or red peppers. This is why many
supplement brands are moving to
whole food vitamin sources vs. their
isolated counterparts.

NATURAL SOURCES

Finding natural alternatives to
certain ingredients that are used
throughout skin care should be
another priority on our list. For
example, hydroquinone’s days are
seemingly numbered, as there is
more evidence being discovered
about levels of toxicity and potential
carcinogenic effects. In addition,
there are more countries getting on
board with banning hydroquinone’s
usage. Even more widely accepted